NRL South Sydney Loses High-Performance Center After Government Withdraws Funding

National Rugby League side South Sydney's "dream to relocate to new high performance centre in Maroubra has been shattered after the Federal Government withdrew support" for a A$16M ($14M) package that was "promised to fund the project," according to Josh Massoud of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. Australia Treasurer Joe Hockey "this week announced the money would be no longer forthcoming to pay for a state-of-the-art complex containing a gymnasium, pool, high altitude chamber, theatrette and indoors sports arena." South Sydney officials were "further infuriated" to learn that a A$10M funding promise for Brookvale Oval -- located in the heart of Australian PM Tony Abbott's Warringah electorate -- has been retained. South Sydney's high-performance center was "planned to be built in Heffron Park, with the funding to paid directly to Randwick City Council." Those "ambitions were destroyed -- at least for the time being -- when Hockey released his Midyear Fiscal and Economic Outlook paper this week." The document "unequivocally states the Heffron Park package has been withdrawn from the upcoming budget" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 12/19).